The Association of Exposure to Point-of-Sale Tobacco Marketing with Quit Attempt and Quit Success: Results from a Prospective Study of Smokers in the United States

The aim was to assess the association of exposure to point-of-sale (POS) tobacco marketing with quit attempt and quit success in a prospective study of smokers in the United States. Data were collected via telephone-interview on exposure to POS tobacco marketing, sociodemographic and smoking-related variables from 999 smokers in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. Exposure to POS tobacco marketing was measured by asking respondents three questions about noticing pack displays, advertisements, and promotions in their respective neighborhoods stores. These three variables were combined into a scale of exposure to POS tobacco marketing. About 68% of the respondents participated in a six-month follow-up phone interview and provided data on quit attempts and smoking cessation. At the six-month follow-up, 39.9% of respondents reported to have made a quit attempt, and 21.8% of those who made a quit attempt succeeded in quitting. Exposure to POS marketing at baseline was not associated with the probability of having made a quit attempt as reported at the six-month follow-up (p = 0.129). However, higher exposure to POS marketing was associated with a lower probability of quit success among smokers who reported to have attempted to quit smoking at six-month follow-up (p = 0.006). Exposure to POS tobacco marketing is associated with lower chances of successfully quitting smoking. Policies that reduce the amount of exposure to POS marketing might result in higher smoking cessation rates

Burden of hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis on quality of life

INTRODUCTION: Hereditary transthyretin (hATTR) amyloidosis is a progressive, degenerative disease, with peripheral neuropathy, cardiomyopathy, and other clinical manifestations. In this study we examine the impact of hATTR amyloidosis on quality of life (QOL). METHODS: Neuropathy-specific QOL, measured with the Norfolk QOL-Diabetic Neuropathy questionnaire, was compared between patients with hATTR amyloidosis and patients with type 2 diabetes, whereas generic QOL, measured with the 36-item Short Form Health Survey version 2 (SF-36v2), was compared between patients with hATTR amyloidosis, the general population, and patients with chronic diseases. RESULTS: Neuropathy-specific QOL for patients with hATTR amyloidosis was nearly equivalent to that of patients with type 2 diabetes with diabetic neuropathy accompanied by a history of ulceration, gangrene, or amputation. Generic QOL was worse than that seen in the general population, with physical functioning worse than that for patients with multiple sclerosis and congestive heart failure. DISCUSSION: Patients with hATTR amyloidosis show significant burden on QOL, particularly in physical functioning. Muscle Nerve 60: 169-175, 201

Inotersen preserves or improves quality of life in hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis

Objective: To examine the impact on quality of life (QOL) of patients with hATTR amyloidosis with polyneuropathy treated with inotersen (Tegsedi™) versus placebo. Methods: Data were from the NEURO-TTR trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01737398), a phase 3, multinational, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of inotersen in patients with hATTR amyloidosis with polyneuropathy. At baseline and week 66, QOL measures-the Norfolk-QOL-Diabetic Neuropathy (DN) questionnaire and SF-36v2® Health Survey (SF-36v2)-were assessed. Treatment differences in mean changes in QOL from baseline to week 66 were tested using mixed-effect models with repeated measures. Responder analyses compared the percentages of patients whose QOL meaningfully improved or worsened from baseline to week 66 in inotersen and placebo arms. Descriptive analysis of item responses examined treatment differences in specific activities and functions at week 66. Results: Statistically significant mean differences between treatment arms were observed for three of five Norfolk-QOL-DN domains and five of eight SF-36v2 domains, with better outcomes for inotersen than placebo in physical functioning, activities of daily living, neuropathic symptoms, pain, role limitations due to health problems, and social functioning. A larger percentage of patients in the inotersen arm than the placebo arm showed preservation or improvement in Norfolk-QOL-DN and SF-36v2 scores from baseline to week 66. Responses at week 66 showed more substantial problems with daily activities and functioning for patients in the placebo arm than in the inotersen arm. Conclusion: Patients with hATTR amyloidosis with polyneuropathy treated with inotersen showed preserved or improved QOL at 66 weeks compared to those who received placebo.This research was funded by Akcea Therapeutics and Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Incinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The association of point-of-sale cigarette marketing with cravings to smoke: results from a cross-sectional population-based study

Objective—To examine the association between recalled exposure to point-of-sale (POS) cigarette marketing (ie, pack displays, advertisements and promotions such as discounts) and reported cravings to smoke while visiting a store. Methods—Data were collected using a telephone survey of a cross-sectional sample of 999 adult smokers in Omaha, Nebraska. Recalled exposure to POS cigarette marketing was measured by asking respondents about noticing (a) pack displays, (b) advertisements and (c) promotions in store in their neighbourhood. A 3-item scale indicating the frequency of experiencing cravings to smoke in locations where cigarettes are sold was created by asking respondents: (1) “feel a craving for a cigarette?” (2) “feel like nothing would be better than smoking a cigarette?” and (3) “feel like all you want is a cigarette?” The association between recalled exposure to POS cigarette marketing and cravings was estimated using ordinary least squares linear regression models, controlling for nicotine dependence, gender, age, race/ethnicity, income, education, frequency of visiting stores in one’s neighbourhood and method of recruitment into the study. Results—Recalled exposure to POS cigarette displays (pConclusions—Recalled exposure to POS cigarette marketing is associated with cravings to smoke as predicted by laboratory studies on the effects of smoking cues on cigarette craving. Policies that reduce or eliminate POS cigarette marketing could reduce cigarette cravings and might attenuate impulse buying of cigarettes

For better or worse: Relationship status and body mass index

Recent increases in the incidence of obesity and declines in marriage have prompted policymakers to implement policies to mitigate these trends. This paper examines the link between these two outcomes. There are four hypotheses (selection, protection, social obligation and marriage market) that might explain the relationship between marital status transitions and changes in Body Mass Index (BMI). The selection hypothesis suggests that those with a lower BMI are more likely to be selected into marriage. The protection hypothesis states that married adults will have better physical health as a result of the increased social support and reduced incidence of risky behavior among married individuals. The social obligation hypothesis states that those in relationships may eat more regular meals and/or richer and denser foods due to social obligations which may arise because of marriage. Finally, the marriage market hypothesis indicates that when adults are no longer in the marriage market they may not maintain a healthy BMI because doing so is costly and they are in a stable union--or on the other hand, adults may enhance their prospects in the marriage market by losing weight. Taking advantage of longitudinal data and complete marriage histories in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, we estimate individual fixed effects models to examine associations between the change in log BMI and the incidence of overweight and obesity, and changes in relationship status controlling for the effects of aging and other respondent characteristics. We find no support for the marriage protection hypothesis. Rather we find evidence supporting the social obligation and marriage market hypotheses--BMI increases for both men and women during marriage and in the course of a cohabiting relationship. Separate analyses by race and ethnicity reveal substantial differences in the response of BMI to relationship status across these groups.Marriage Cohabitation BMI Overweight Obesity

The association of point-of-sale cigarette marketing with cravings to smoke: results from a cross-sectional population-based study

Objective—To examine the association between recalled exposure to point-of-sale (POS) cigarette marketing (ie, pack displays, advertisements and promotions such as discounts) and reported cravings to smoke while visiting a store. Methods—Data were collected using a telephone survey of a cross-sectional sample of 999 adult smokers in Omaha, Nebraska. Recalled exposure to POS cigarette marketing was measured by asking respondents about noticing (a) pack displays, (b) advertisements and (c) promotions in store in their neighbourhood. A 3-item scale indicating the frequency of experiencing cravings to smoke in locations where cigarettes are sold was created by asking respondents: (1) “feel a craving for a cigarette?” (2) “feel like nothing would be better than smoking a cigarette?” and (3) “feel like all you want is a cigarette?” The association between recalled exposure to POS cigarette marketing and cravings was estimated using ordinary least squares linear regression models, controlling for nicotine dependence, gender, age, race/ethnicity, income, education, frequency of visiting stores in one’s neighbourhood and method of recruitment into the study. Results—Recalled exposure to POS cigarette displays (pConclusions—Recalled exposure to POS cigarette marketing is associated with cravings to smoke as predicted by laboratory studies on the effects of smoking cues on cigarette craving. Policies that reduce or eliminate POS cigarette marketing could reduce cigarette cravings and might attenuate impulse buying of cigarettes